The King of Nepal, traditionally known as the Mahārājādhirāja

The King of Nepal, traditionally known as the Mahārājādhirāja (Nepali: श्री ५ महाराजधिराज), was Nepal's head of state and monarch from 1768 to 2008. He served as the head of the Nepalese monarchy—Shah Dynasty. The monarchy was founded in 1768 and was abolished on 28 May 2008 by the 1st Constituent Assembly.[1] The subnational monarchies in Mustang, Bajhang, Salyan, and Jajarkot were also abolished in October. [2]

Contents  [hide]
1 History
1.1 Nepalese royal massacre
2 Kings of Nepal (1768–2008)
3 Note
4 Royal Standard
5 See also
6 References
History[edit]
Further information: History of Nepal and Kingdom of Nepal
The Kingdom of Nepal was founded on 25 September 1768 by Prithvi Narayan Shah, a Gorkha king who succeeded in unifying the kingdoms of Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur into a single state under his Shah dynasty. The Kingdom of Nepal was de jure an absolute monarchy for most of its history. However, from 1846 until the Revolution of 1951, the country was de facto ruled by the hereditary Prime Ministers from the Rana dynasty, reducing the role of the Shah monarch to that of a figurehead. In November 1990, after the Jana Andolan movement, the new Constitution was adopted and the country became a constitutional monarchy.

On 13 February 1996, the Nepalese Civil War was launched by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), with the aim of overthrowing the kingdom and establishing a 'People's Republic'. On 1 February 2005, as the security situation deteriorated in the civil war, King Gyanendra declared a state of emergency, suspended the Constitution and assumed direct control over the country.[3] On 24 April 2006, after the Loktantra Andolan movement, the king agreed to give up absolute power and to reinstate the dissolved House of Representatives.[4][5] On 21 November 2006, the Civil War ended with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord.[6] On 15 January 2007, the King was suspended from exercising his duties by the newly formed interim legislature. Finally, on 28 May 2008, the kingdom was officially abolished by the 1st Constituent Assembly and Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal was declared.[7] The subnational monarchies in Mustang, Bajhang, Salyan, and Jajarkot were also abolished in October 2008.[8]

Nepalese royal massacre[edit]
Further information: Nepalese royal massacre
On 1 June 2001, Crown Prince Dipendra went on a shooting spree and murdered his father, King Birendra, his mother Queen Aishwarya, and several other members of the royal family. Afterwards, he shot himself.[9][10] Immediately after the massacre, Dipendra was proclaimed king while in a coma, but he died on 4 June 2001, after a three-day reign.[11] His uncle, Prince Gyanendra, was appointed regent for the three days, then ascended the throne himself after Dipendra died.

Kings of Nepal (1768–2008)[edit]
Name
Lifespan
Reign start
Reign end
Notes
Family
Image
Prithvi Narayan Shah
बडामहाराजधिराज पृथ्वीनारायण शाह
7 January 1723[12] – 11 January 1775 (aged 52) 25 September 1768 11 January 1775 Son of Nara Bhupal Shah Shah Prithvi Narayan Shah of Nepal
Pratap Singh Shah
प्रतापसिंह शाह
16 April 1751 – 17 November 1777 (aged 26) 11 January 1775 17 November 1777 Son of Prithvi Shah
Narayan Shah